Electrical connector

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector comprises a body of insulating material having a channel-shaped recess in which a contact strip is assembled. The strip has an arcuate-shaped base nested in the recess which is of corresponding shape and a plurality of contact fingers for attachment to lead wires. A metal terminal block for connection to a main supply, extends transversely of said recess and is engaged by the contact strip. The connector is formed with resilient legs for snapping into an aperture in a support on which the connector is to be mounted.

United States Patent 72] Inventor Clarence Willans Heath" Sycamore House, Bleasby, Nottinghamshire, England [21] App]. No. 706,549 [22] Filed Feb. 19, 1968 [45] Patented Nov. 2, 1971 [32'] Priority Feb. 24, 1967 [33] Great Britain [31] 8872/67 [54] ELECTRICAL CONNECTDR 3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs. [52] 11.8. C1 339/198, 339/l25,339/217 [51] lnt.Cl 1101r9/12, HO 1 r 9/16 [50] Field of Search 339/198, 128, 272, 256 SP, 258 S, 125, 217

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,885,652 5/1959 Rowe 339/198 9/1964 Dodd 339/198 3,189,866 6/1965 Layar et al. 339/198 3,344,390 9/1967 Dell 339/52 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,398,660 3/1965 France 339/198 (E) 587,954 5/1947 Great Britain 339/198 (.2)

Primary Examiner- Richard E. Moore Attorneys Philip E. Parker, Gordon Needleman, James R.

OConnor, John Todd and Hall & Houghton ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly for assembly in an aperture or recess in a support.

The present invention provides an electrical connector assembly comprising a body of insulating material formed with a longitudinally extending recess in which an electrical contact strip is assembled, the strip having a base portion nested in the recess and integral contact fingers extending from the base outwardly of the recess, a metal terminal block for assembly in a second recess in the body so as to make electrical engagement with the contact strip and having a screw threaded bore for receiving a lead wire clamping screw, the body of insulating material being provided with integral resilient legs for snapping into an aperture in a support for detachably securing the connector assembly thereto.

The contact may comprise a strip of sheet metal cut and bent to provide a substantially circular or arcuately shaped base having a plurality of contact fingers extending therefrom in two opposite directions, the longitudinal recess in the body of the connector being also of arcuate shape in cross section so that the base of the strip makes a snug fit in the recess with the fingers extending upwardly and laterally of the open side of the recess.

The terminal block may have an arcuate shaped recess for receiving an end portion of the correspondingly shaped base of the contact strip, the said end of the base having an aperture through which the clamping screw is adapted to extend when it is screwed into the terminal block.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, it will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. I is a side view of an electrical connector one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the connector as viewed from the left in FIG. ll;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the connector;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line A--A of FIG. 1, the contact and terminal block being omitted;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, the contact and terminal block being omitted;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the contact; showing the contact nested in a terminal block;

FIG. 7 is an end view thereof:

FIG. 8 is a side view similar to FIG. I modified form of terminal strip;

FIG. 9 is an end view of the connector shown in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view thereof.

As illustrated in the drawings, the electrical connector assembly comprises a body 1 formed of resilient insulating material such as synthetic plastics. The body is formed with a pair of resilient legs, 2, 3 depending from two opposite side of the body, each leg having a shoulder 2a, 3a, respectively.

Intermediate the legs of each pair offlexible arm 4, 5, is provided having its free end inclined laterally outwards of the body 11 and is spaced relation to the shoulder 2a, 3a.

The body 1 is formed with a longitudinally extending channel including a substantially circular inner portion 6 and an outer straight sided portion 7 extending from the portion 6 to the upper face of the body. The distance between the walls of the portion 7 is less than the diameter of the circular portion 6. At one end of the body I is also formed with an opening 8 extending transversely of the body from one side to the other.

A terminal block 9 is assembled in the opening 8 and formed with a substantially circular channellike recess similar to and aligned with the circular portion 6 of the channel in the body l. The terminal block 9 is formed with a screw threaded aperture in one of its sidewalls for receiving a clamping screw 10.

A contact strip Ill is provided formed by bending and cutting a blank of sheet metal to proved a substantially circular, elongated base portion 12 formed from an intermediate portion of the blank; other portions of the blank extend laterally of the top of the strip as view in Figure 7 and are divided by slots into a plurality of fingers l3. Adjacent each end the base portion 12 is formed with an aperture 14, 140.

according to but illustrating a The terminal block is assembled in the opening so as to align its channel like recess with the circular portion 6 of the channel in the body of the circular portion 12 of the contact strip is then aligned with the recess :in the terminal block and slid longitudinally into the connector. When thus assembled the circular portion 12 of the contact strip will be snugly received in the portion 6 of the channel and the fingers 113 will extend outwardly and laterally of the open' end of the channel in the body 1 over the upper edges of the side walls of the straight sided portion 7 of the channel. The fingers are adapted to have lead wires attached to their ends.

When the contact strip is assembled as described, the end portion of the base 12 will be located in the channellike recess in the terminal block with one of the apertures M, Ma aligned with the screw threaded aperture in the terminal block. Accordingly, when the clamping screw 10 is screwed inwardly to clamp a mains lead to the terminal block 9, the inner end of the screw will extend into the aperture in the base 12 of the contact strip so that the contact strip and terminal block will be secured in assembly with the body 1 of the connector and in electrical contact with one another.

The connector assembly is particularly adapted for use with domestic appliances such as electric cookers and is assembled by inserting the legs 2, 3, into an aperture in the body or frame of the cooker and applying pressure to snap the legs through the aperture.

The legs 2, 3, being resilient will readily snap through the aperture and the connector will be retained in assembly with the support by the shoulders 2a, 3a, engaging the under face of the support adjacent the aperture and the free ends of the arms 4, 5, will engage the upper face of the support. By reason of the flexibility of the arms, it is possible to assemble the connector with supports of different thicknesses.

It will be understood that the opening d extends completely through the body 1 from one side to the other and accordingly the terminal block can be assembled from either side of the body ll. Accordingly, by inserting the terminal block from one or other side of the body the clamping screw will be accessible on the side of the connector at which the main cable to be connected is conveniently positioned. The provision of the apertures 14, Ma, enable the contact strip to be reversed so as to present one of the apertures for reception of the screw l0 according to the disposition of the terminal block.

With reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10, the connector assembly is similar to that illustrated in FIGS. l to 7 except that a modified form of terminal strip is assembled in the connector body. The parts illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10 which are identical to the parts illustrated in FIGS. I to 7 are given identical reference numerals with the addition of the suffix b, except for the shoulders 2a, 3a (FIGS. 1 to 7) which are given reference numerals 2x, 31.

In FIGS. 1 to 7, the contact fingers 11.3 of each row extend at the same angle to one another which angle is approximately In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10, the alternate fingers 23, 23a, in each row on the two sides of the connector body are disposed in different angular relation so as to provide a staggered arrangement. The advantage of this arrangement is that a larger number of fingers can be formed from the same blank of material. It will be noted that in FIGS. 1 to 7, eight fingers are provided but in FIGS. 8 to Ill, l2 fin gers are provided from the same size blank. The staggered arrangement of the fingers ensures that the separate fingers can be readily wired up without interference from juxtaposed fingers.

lclaim:

I. An electrical connector assembly for assembly in a support comprising a body of insulating material, a recess extending longitudinally of said body, said recess being of arcuate shape in cross section, an electrical contact strip having a base portion of arcuate shape in cross section nested in said recess and integral contact fingers extending from said base outwardly of said recess, a metal terminal block assembled in a second recess in said body so as to make electrical engagement with said contact strip, a screw threaded bore in said terminal block receiving a lead wire clamping screw, and integral resilient legs integral with said body for snapping into said aperture in said support for detachably securing the connector assembly thereto.

2. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said terminal block is formed with an arcuate shaped recess aligned with a correspondingly shaped recess in the body of the connector, a portion of the arcuately shaped base of the contact strip being seated in said recess in the terminal block. 

1. An electrical connector assembly for assembly in a support comprising a body of insulating material, a recess extending longitudinally of said body, said recess being of arcuate shape in cross section, an electrical contact strip having a base portion of arcuate shape in cross section nested in said recess and integral contact fingers extending from said base outwardly of said recess, a metal terminal block assembled in a second recess in said body so as to make electrical engagement with said contact strip, a screw threaded bore in said terminal block receiving a lead wire clamping screw, and integral resilient legs integral with said body for snapping into said aperture in said support for detachably securing the connector assembly thereto.
 2. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said terminal block is formed with an arcuate shaped recess aligned with a correspondingly shaped recess in the body of the connector, a portion of the arcuately shaped base of the contact strip being seated in said recess in the terminal block.
 3. The connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said terminal block is assembled in a transverse recess at one end of the body of the connector, each end of said base of the contact strip being formed with an aperture so arranged that one of the said apertures may be aligned with said screw threaded bore in the terminal block so that the clamping screw can pass through the bore and project into an aligned aperture in the base of the terminal strip. 